Mountain biking part of Heavenly’s epic plans
Heavenly wants its summer activities to rival what it offers guests in the winter.
Beyond what the South Shore ski resort is already embarking on, it has submitted plans to the U.S. Forest Service and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to create Epic Discovery – the same type of summer adventure Vail Resorts has planned for Vail and Breckenridge in Colorado.
Epic Discovery is designed to connect kids and families with the national forests. “Learning through play” is the theme, much like the philosophy of the ski and snowboard learning centers.
Heavenly’s GM, Pete Sonntag, talks about changes coming to the resort for summer fun. Photo/LTN file
Heavenly will contribute 1 percent of all summer lift ticket and activity revenue to the Nature Conservancy for forest and watershed restoration projects.
Below are some of the plans in the works and new proposals for Epic Discovery:
· Mid-Station Zipline Canopy Tour: An interpretive zipline canopy tour in the area between the gondola mid-station and the top station to the east of the gondola alignment.
· East Peak Zipline Canopy Tour: A multi-stage guided zipline canopy tour will begin near the top of Big Easy chairlift and end with a zip over East Peak Lake, near the base of Dipper Express chairlift.
· Sky Meadows Zipline Canopy Tour: It will begin near the top of Tamarack Express chairlift and end near the base of Sky Express chairlift.
· Sky Cycle Canopy Tour: Located in the area between the gondola top station and the Mid-Station Observation Deck, the Sky Cycle Canopy Tour will allow visitors to traverse the area by pedaling individual bicycle-like devices that are suspended from a cable in the air.
· Sky Meadows Ropes Course: A self-guided ropes course consisting of a series of platforms and rope walkway-bridges will be located between Sky Deck and the base of Sky Express chairlift.
· Forest Flyer: The Forest Flyer allows guests on individual sleds to descend on a raised track through the forest and natural rock formations. Located north and west of the existing tubing hill, the Forest Flyer will utilize gravity for the descent while giving riders full control of their speed.
· East Peak Lake Water Activities: Water-oriented activities on and around the existing East Peak reservoir will include kayaking, canoeing and fishing.
· Hiking Trails: New hiking trails will connect the top of Tamarack Express chairlift to the top of the gondola and Tamarack Lodge, continuing down to East Peak Lodge, approximately 3 miles.
· Ridge Run Lookout Tower and Observation Deck: A new observation tower will be developed near the existing Ridge Run Overlook. Resembling a historic Forest Service Fire Lookout Tower, it will offer views of High Meadows and Freel Peak, as well as Lake Tahoe. The existing picnic deck adjacent to the top of Sky Express chairlift will be rebuilt.
· Mountain Bike Park: Dipper Express, Comet Express and Tamarack Express will serve as access points to the Mountain Bike Park in the East Peak Basin area, offering eight to 10 total miles of trails ranging in difficulty from beginner through expert.
· Mountain Excursion Tour: A Mountain Excursion Tour will connect all three activity centers via motorized 4×4 vehicles, at the top of the Gondola, East Peak Lodge, and Sky Meadows, and will offer guided tours to various locations around the upper mountain.
· Interpretive Learning: Interpretive Discovery Zones will be integrated throughout the experience, sharing the area’s rich natural environment and cultural history with guests using fun and informative learning techniques.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
I’ve been dreaming of a bike park in SLT for so long. Along with the bike skills park and pump track to be built at bijou, our community’s bike culture will be through the roof. Even your grandma will have a DH bike.. Some double black single track at top of dipper, im gunna go wait for first chair now.
The MTB park if done right could bring in allot of people and fun.
Zip Line? I guess.
The 4X$ stuff, they already drive them all over up there for Maintenance but the greenie’s gonna complain about that.
I hope they connect the hiking trails to Van Sickle park’s and the Tahoe Rim Trail too. Sounds great. They should add a ticket/info center in the new Chateau area too, perhaps with indoor climbing and other activities for off mountain as well.
I would like to see the MTB park happen very quickly!! Next Spring?
I do not know how long MTB is going to be popular? but for the past 5 or 6 years it has been BOOMING. And ythe people who MTB are typically Very well heeled. In addition having this activity available will give your Kids and young adults something to do.
As a side note, make sure your local hospital ramps up the ER. cuz Well. yea?
Very ambitious plans, lets hope the city remembers to collect sales tax this time.
The mountain bike park is great news and will add even more trails to an already stellar system adjacent to Heavenly created by the USFS including the new Monument Pass Trail and Star Lake Trail.
TAMBA has seen strong support over the last few years locally and regionally – it’s clear Tahoe is a national (and even international) mountain biking destination. This will only strengthen our recreation draw!
Just back from the Colorado Rockies where the alpine slides, Heavenly’s proposed “Forest Flyer”, are super draws and mega fun for the whole family. It’s about time. Let’s just hope that the nay-Sayers in SLT can keep their traps shut and lock themselves inside, while everyone else who has a life is out having fun!
European resorts have had these in place for decades. Good stuff, ja.
Jonathan Moore, let me also say I hope the city remembers to collect sales tax on this plan. It will be a bunch more revenue then paid parking.
Buck, the city can not collect sales tax on this as Heavenly is not in city limits and when heavenly village was built sales tax on lift tickets sold there were excluded from local sales taxes.
so they want summer activities to rival what they offer in winter?? – does that mean $104 dollar day passes to walk or bike around Kingsbury? Sorry, I just dont think what is good for Vail is good for the rest of us – when mega resorts market to folks with “we have it all without having to move off the resort” approaches – that is just what happens – the resort collects all the expendible income and the rest of the community (if that is even what you can call what is left) suffers or lives off minimum wage service jobs and we dont even have small busiiness owners left to provide an alternate non-corportate business perspective.
Nothing to do with this Story, But here it is.
RIP Bill Johnson.
You kept me interested in Down Hill and world cup for a couple more years.
Thank you for the thrills and spills.
I seem to remember that as a part of the Heavenly expansion agreement, Heavenly agreed not to have mountain bikes on the mountain. Someone might want to look into the agreement. Just sayin’…………
Vail continues to grow, tax city services and pays no use tax? Did they ever pay for the back parking contract on Ski Run?
Isn’t there some special deal on water too?